Labor of Love

"An unexpected child by an unexpected way."

1998 1h 36m EN

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 1

RomanceDramaTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Annie, a 36-year-old, single woman, desperately wants to have a child. Her best friend, Mickey, a gay man who had tried unsuccessfully to adopt a child, also feels the pangs of parental yearning. The couple decides to have a naturally conceived child together. Mickey moves in with Annie, but she then meets Gordon, the man of her dreams with whom she has a passionate fling. Annie finds herself pregnant and not exactly sure which of the two men in her life is the father. But commitment-shy Gordon wants nothing to do with the child. Mickey eventually assures Annie that no matter what, he will help raise the child as his, together as a family with Annie.

“An unexpected child by an unexpected way.”

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Cast

Marcia Gay Harden
Annie Pines
David Marshall Grant
Mickey Wister
Rod Wilson
Marc
Heidi von Palleske
Joan
Alison Sealy-Smith
Kara
Daniel Hugh Kelly
Gordon Connell
Jenn Griffin
Lisa
Kevin Hicks
Robert

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Karen Arthur
Writers: Nina Shengold
Languages: English
Countries: Canada, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

28 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Canada, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Karen Arthur, shot by Tom Neuwirth. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Laura Karpman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tina Hirsch shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marcia Gay Harden and David Marshall Grant and Rod Wilson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "An unexpected child by an unexpected way.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Karen Arthur directs. Tom Neuwirth behind the camera. Laura Karpman scores. Tina Hirsch cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Canada, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

128 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 2 countries: Canada, United States of America.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Karen Arthur, shot by Tom Neuwirth. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Laura Karpman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Tina Hirsch shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Marcia Gay Harden and David Marshall Grant and Rod Wilson carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "An unexpected child by an unexpected way.".
9IMDB entry: tt0159519 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.